Corner-iron for panel-board frames.



v H. F. STARRETT. CORNER IRON FOR PANEL BOARD FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED 001.21. I916.

1 ,29Q,39% Patented Jan. 7, I919.

" I N j 6''. 5 @2273? maining side members.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. STARRETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STARRETT MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

confirm-men r03. PANEL-BOARD mamas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application and October 27, 1916. Serial No. 128,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. STARRE'I'I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corner-Irons for Panel-Board Frames, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in panel boards, and particularly to the means for supporting the insulating frame used in connection with the panel board when the same is mounted in a steel cabinet.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide asupporting means for the panelboard frame by which the different sides of the frame may be adjusted relatively to the panel board to fit steel cabinets of varying depths.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for supporting the frame whereby the separate side members of the frame may be removed independently of the re- Various other objects and advantages of my invention will a pear more fully in the accompanying speci cation and claims. For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one embodiment thereof. In said draw- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a panel board surrounded by an insulating frame supported by my improved means, the cabinet being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional vhew of a panel board, cabinet and the frame;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the frame-supporting means; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a frame.

In the embodiment illustrated I have shown the usual steel cabinet 1, in which it is customary to mount panel boards for electrio and other power circuits. This cabinet is of the usual construction and the panel board 2 is mounted therein. The panel board may be of any desired construction and is secured in the cabinet in the usual manner. Surrounding the panel board is shown the usual insulating frame 3. This frame, as shown in Fig. 4, consists of a plurality of insulating side members which oxtend at right angles to the panel-board and serve to insulate and protect the board from the branch circuit wires which lie in the wiring pockets 4 in the steel cabinet, these pocket-s being formed between the insulating frame and the sides ofthe cabinet. This is -the usual panel-board mounting and arrangement. The side members of the insulating frame may be notched, as at 5, to accommodate the ends of the branch circuit 'wires which are adapted to pass therethrough and be connected to the terminals on the panel-boards.

The different side members of the insulating frame are secured in position by means of corner irons 6, which comprise a pair of side members 7 and 8, extending at right angles to each other and adapted to receive the ends of the insulating members of the frame. The side member 8 of the corner iron is provided at its bottom with a laterall extending bottom flange 9 having a suit- Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

ab e opening 10 to permit the passage therethrough of a bolt or screw or other securing device for fastening it to the bottom of the cabinet, or to Whatever device on which the frame is mounted. The side 7 is cut away at '11. This side is generally placed either at the top or the bottom of the frame and is thus cut away to provide as much clearance as possible between the corner iron and the leading-in terminals of the panel board. Each side at its top is provided with a long'itudinal notch 12. Near the ends of the various side pieces 13 of the frame are placed screws or bolts 14 which extend through the side pieces from the inner end and are so spaced from the ends that they coincide, when the side pieces are placed in position, with the notches 12 in the corner posts. Due to the fact that the corner posts are notched from the top downward, as at 12, the bolts 14 may be permanently mounted at the ends of the side pieces, and when it is desired to place the side pieces in position it is merely necessary to drop them in place, the bolts 14 dropping into their respective notches. At the ends of the bolts there are provided wing nuts, which securely clamp the side pieces, by means of the bolts, to the corner irons. Any suitable form of wing nut maybe provided, but I have illustrated in the drawings a specially designed wing nut, which combines a wing nut and washer. The wing nut is stamped from sheet metal and has a circular, fiat nut portion 15 adapted to engage over the stem of the screw 14, and integrally formed with this nut portion and turned up therefrom to extend at right angles are the skeleton wings 16. By making the nut in this form the round, flat portion 15 not only acts as a nut but also presents a broad, fiat bearing surface, so that a washer may be dispensed with.

By the use of the above-described corner iron it will be seen that the insulating frame for panel boards is securely mounted in position. At the same time the side members may be adjusted, due to the elongated slot in the top end, to various heights, so that the top of the side member may be adjusted to fit flush with the under side of the top of the cabinet, making a neat and close fit therewith. Furthermore, it will be noted that each of the side members may be readily removed and independently of the other side members. By loosening the two wing nuts holding the side member in position it may be easily lifted out, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In taking out the side member, however, the remaining side members are not disconnected or displaced in any manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let'- ters Patent is- 1. The combination with a. panel board, of an insulating frame surrounding said board, a corner iron for said frame having slots in its sides extending downwardly from the top edge thereof, projections mounted on the members of the frame adapted to slidingly engage in said slots, and a clamping means cooperating with said projections and sides to hold said frame together and which permits adjustment or removal of any one of said sides independently of the' remaining members of said frame in position to the corner iron and whereby independent vertical adjustment of each member of said frame is permissible.

3. A corner iron for panel-board frames comprising a pair of sides extending at rightangles to each other, longitudinally-extending slots ineach of said sides extending downwardly from the top edges thereof, bolts associated with the inclosing members of said frame and adapted to be slidingly fitted into said slots, a laterally-extending bottom foot for securing the iron in'position, and a. clamping means cooperating with said bolts and sides to hold said frame together, and which permits adjustment or removal of any one of said sides independently \of the remaining sides.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a supporting base of an insulating frame, comprising a plurality of corner irons mounted on said base and in sulating members extending at right-angles to the base, each member being independently secured to the corner iron and independently adjustable.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY F. STARRETT. 

